Evelyn's Pov.
The doorbell rang twice, sharp and urgent, echoing in the otherwise quiet house. My heart skipped a beat before I could even recognize the sound. Two quick rings and the echo that followed felt heavier than usual. I froze, every muscle tensing, as a voice shouted behind my head. My stomach knotted. It must be Zack, I thought, my instincts screaming at me to ignore it.
“Can you get it?” I asked Sam, who was hunched over her phone like she hadn’t heard a thing.
“You’re actually doing nothing,” she said, eyes still glued to the screen. The casualness of her tone made me doubt my own anxiety.
The doorbell rang again, more insistent this time. Sam’s mother groaned from the kitchen, the sound carrying a mix of annoyance and resignation. “So impatient,” she muttered, wiping her
